Honorary Inductees (unanimously chosen by Selection Committee for outstanding contributions to the Raceway’s and the Association’s success)
Class of 2018
North Star Beverage of Hurley this dedicated and successful family-owned company has provided the ABC Raceway with exceptional service and support for over 40 years … it has been a season-long sponsor of racing here for nearly as long, and it is almost always among first of our sponsors to renew its agreement for an upcoming season … following the example set by its former owner, the late Don Koivisto, the recent and current staff and management have excelled in service, always ready to deliver delicious and refreshing products for fans to enjoy every race night at the track
Driver category (retired minimum 5 yrs; recognized for outstanding accomplishments, and loyalty and “ambassadorship” to ABC Raceway)
Class of 2018
Ray Gregor one of the true gentlemen of the sport, Ray earned eight feature wins during the late 1960s and early ‘70s, as well as the 1970 Hobby Stock championship … his popular blue #10 Chevelles were always both fast and beautiful … later in his career he made a jump to Late Models; a popular story says that Ray, trying to build one of his first Late Models, borrowed a snowmobile from a friend, then went to the bank and used it as collateral to borrow money for the race car! … Ray continues to be a great fan of the Raceway, and a great friend to it
Greg Jaeger Greg started out racing Street Stocks in 1999, but he found his true calling in the Six-Cylinder class … during his ten seasons in the Sixes, from 2003-’12, he finished in the top-10 in points all ten years, putting his popular blue #66 in Victory Lane 14 times, and capturing the division’s points titles in 2007 and ‘10 while finishing second in points twice more … Greg has also served on the Raceway’s Board of Directors both during and after his racing career, and he generously donated his time here as an on-track official, as a member of the Six-Cylinder rules committee, and with track preparation, as well as finding older trucks to sell or donate to the Raceway’s fleet for on-track use through his successful auto repair business
Tim Mackey a popular and successful driver, Tim collected 20 feature wins in the Hobby Stock, Street Stock and Super Stock classes … he stormed onto the scene in 1993 with five feature wins and his first track championship, in the Hobby Stocks, then backed that up with another title in ‘94 in the Streeters … once he moved into the Super Stocks, Tim accumulated three more top-10 points finishes … quiet and unassuming, he always let his #98 do the talking (accepting on his behalf – Dale Eichmann)
Bob Mattson his MoPar-powered race cars, with the big #3 on the doors, were considered to be the fastest cars on this race track during the Raceway’s earliest years … Bob’s cars had a reputation, as fans back then recalled, for being faster than anyone else’s down the straightaways – but then he would fly off the corners and lose all the positions he had gained, only to have to climb back on the track and pass everyone again! … he amassed ten feature wins over his career during the late 1960s to very early ‘70s, including four during his 1967 championship season … he was a master mechanic and fabricator, but he was also known for being extremely polite and kind to fans, track employees and his fellow drivers, making him both a fan and a track favorite
Volunteer / Contributor category (minimum 10 yrs service; recognized for significant positive contributions to local organization)
Class of 2018
Eric Erickson was serving in his third term as president of the Association when inducted … a long-time Board member & volunteer, Eric became a popular and well-known member of racing community … it could be argued that no single person ever took more pride in this organization, or was more emotionally committed to the success of the facility, than he is … he started his tenure here as a grade-schooler, helping in the concession stand and wherever else he could, and before long he was serving on the Board of Directors and eventually as president of the organization … he has served on dozens of committees, organized hundreds of events here, and donated thousands of work hours for the benefit of the Raceway, its fans and its racers … he has also served on the WISSOTA national board, including as its president, and he has worked in nearly every capacity at this track, as well as helping at several other facilities … after the 2018 racing season, WISSOTA awarded Eric and the ABC Raceway its “Award of Excellence” – the equivalent of its former “Track of the Year” award – marking the first time any WISSOTA-sanctioned facility had ever received this honor more than once … with the exception of his family, this race track is his number one passion
Gordy Gilbertson a highly respected and very respectful person, Gordy earned a reputation for being very dependable, regardless of the task he volunteered for … even from his earliest days serving as a Board member in the 1970s, he was entrusted to handle one of the most crucial jobs at the track – picking up the food order at the grocery store and getting it here on time! … he has served as secretary on the Raceway Board and has provided help with security here … after a few years away from the area, he and his wife Judy have returned, working during recent seasons in the driver draw booth in the pit area; he has also become an important part of the HoF committee
Cheryl Klobucher for over 30 years Cheryl has proven herself to be invaluable in keeping this organization going and making it successful … she started by working in the concession booths, and she helped organize the popular Red Clay Classic dances at the National Guard Armory years ago … she has served for many years on the Raceway Board, and her administrative skills and in-depth understanding of finances and taxes has made her indispensable as the track’s long-time treasurer … more recently she has headed up the Raceway’s social media efforts … she has worked at or assisted in nearly every job at the facility, and she has been involved in nearly every committee … if there is an administrative or promotional task to be done involving this track, she has either provided strong leadership or been passionately involved (presented by Kurt Beeksma)
Pete & Carol Seemuth (posthumous) this beloved couple spent over 20 years assisting with important tasks throughout the organization, as well as greeting and helping drivers and fans arriving at the track … Pete completed countless maintenance projects and assisted with track preparations for each week’s shows, while Carol worked in the ticket booths, welcoming the fans … both were known for their dependability and punctuality, and Pete and their son Brian earned such a solid reputation for their excellent track prep work that they were asked to do the same at other area tracks … sons Brian and Dean each became deeply enthusiastic race fans because of the exposure to the sport by their parents – and because of the admiration that so many of us track workers, fans and drivers had for their folks (accepting on their behalf – son Dean Seemuth)
